1 minute read
CURI TALES
Julian Curi
Founder of Righteous Robot
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The director of Righteous Robot, writer, and an actor - Julian Curi, tries to find new forms of expression that he can learn to entertain others. He brings life to paper on camera through his films. He has brought many stories to life in liveaction, like “The Last Leg” or “Looks Like a Fool”; but it his newfound blend of puppetry and animation that makes his upcoming paper-cut short film “Gruff” stand out from the rest. He aspires to tell stories and help others tell theirs with craftsmanship and imagination.
Tell-Tale Signs
I wasn’t always a paper-cut artist. I’ve hardly been one. My professional life to date resembles an anthology more than a portfolio where the only constant was curiosity: a longing to seek out and master skill sets, to find new forms of expression, and of course to entertain. They are the “many loves” of my professional journey and I have never replaced one with another. Whether selling caricature portraits as a boy, pursuing an acting career in film and television, painting holy images for churches, filming, directing, and editing films, and now bringing paper to life on camera, all these loves dance together in the medium of film. And for the time being, that is the medium I call home.
From The Outset
I will come clean to you, the logo and the company name for Righteous Robot came before their meaning. But while their meaning came second, the fact it was discovered rather than formulated connects me more to it. We are all programmed in some way, be it through upbringing, socio-political environment, religion, art, culture, or geography. Exclusively living into our programming is not always a bad thing, but it can be. “Righteousness” is not a word often associated with a robot. So, I like to imagine that a righteous robot can see beyond its programming, and welcome the wonder of what’s beyond it. That, after all, is the purpose of art, I think. To invite people out of their programming into a new space with new ideas and wonder. It can challenge assumptions, or offer a delightful escape. And I seek to do both in my work.
